


Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

by WandererRune



Series: Persona 5: ReStart [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series, Shin Megami Tensei Series
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Major Spoilers, Metaverse, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Re:St, Read at Your Own Risk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandererRune/pseuds/WandererRune
Summary: Ren Amamiya moved in Tokyo but things became more strange and dangerous than he thought.Along with the Phantom Thieves and his found resolve that burns ardent than before, he decided toget rid of the malice and... unveil a mystery.Meanwhile, a mysterious girl who resides in the Metaverse decides to aid the Phantom Thieves.A great trial that never devoids of obstacles awaits in her path. Will she succeed?
Relationships: Amamiya Ren (Persona Series)/Original Female Character(s), Amamiya Ren (Persona Series)/Reader, Kurusu Akira/Original Female Character(s), Kurusu Akira/Reader
Series: Persona 5: ReStart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110527
Kudos: 10





	1. That Voice We Couldn't Hear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I (finally) decidede to publish my Persona Fanfic x_x;;  
> It has been long since I wrote a fanfic and also my first fanfic here in AO3  
> so I consider this as a practice too.  
> Advice are welcome down below in the comment *^^*

**Amamiya Ren** never expected the situation he is currently in. No one would. He tried to save a woman only to end up in prohibition; he got expelled for his reputation; his family sent him off to Tokyo, a very big city compared to the countryside. Right when he stepped out of the train, it was the start of something unknown. A mysterious app installed in his phone: Metaverse. Curious, he pressed it. He didn't know what happened next but everything around him came to a stop. Was he imagining things? He thought he was. Not anymore. It wasn't even a week and everything took a strange turn. Ren found himself between life and death in a medieval castle along with another student. Here he awakens a being called 'persona', as Morgana calls them, 'the will of a person rebellion'.

Morgana (codename Mona), a talking cat with mysterious origin… In the metaverse, Morgana has a big head and walks on two feet. Or paws? Like a sort of mascot. And in the real world, he appears like any other cat. Except he can talk and only specific people can understand him. Morgana explained that the medieval castle is based on the cognition of a distorted desire of a person. And this one sees the school as his castle and he's a ruler.

That someone is Suguru Kamoshida. A volleyball star and P.E. teacher who abuses his students and harasses them. And it's up to the thieves, a group of vigilantes, who wields the persona to steal that distorted desire so his tyranny would end.

Sakamoto Ryuji (codename Skull), a school delinquent. He was the one who ended up in the castle the first day. A former tracker who Kamoshida broke a leg to disband the tracking-club and labelled as traitor to his former teammates.

Takamaki Ann (codename Panther), a foreign student and outcast. Because of her origin, she was constantly harassed by Kamoshida along with her best friend, Shiho.

Amamiya Ren (codename Joker) was on the verge of being expelled when he followed Ryuji when barged in the P.E. teacher's room out of rage after a tragic event. Not only, this would also send him to the juvenile.

They couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't also because they will end up expelled (and Ren in juvenile). Kamoshida would continue his crime and after a tempted suicide of a student in the school; they couldn't stay still doing nothing. Everyone turned an eye close. Even the principal. And the students who were harassed didn't dare to talk in fear of their parents. And here he is now, side by side with his comrades to take down the teacher's disgusting cognition and steal his heart, the root of his distorted desire. They weren't sure if what they were doing was okay as they were unsure how it would end. Mona informed it will change his heart but there's a probability it may also end up killing the teacher, causing him a mental shutdown. A death is currently a mystery in Japan. And they are the one who will probably know how it works.

Or they won't if they will get killed in the cognitive word. They were doing great but they were still a novice. While Skull was on his way to snatch the giant crown off Kamoshida, the rest didn't expect him to throw giant volleyballs.

"Down!" Mona shouted almost at the last second but managed to dodge the volleyball. Thanks to the wildcard he's holding, Joker summoned another persona in exchange for his previous one. Still, it wasn't enough. Skull finally climbs up toward the next floor and is aiming to the treasure, but Joker can feel his energy being drained. The same for Mona and Panther.

"Mona, cast Media!" Joker commanded. Right away when Mona casted the spell to cure the whole unit, the king attacked by whipping his giant tongue.

"Take that! The whip of love! Hahaheheheha" Kamoshida laughed while he charged for the next move.

Joker made an effort to stand up. Panther and Mona were knocked out and Skull, alone, can't operate by himself. He can't lose right there. Something. He must do something. His thoughts drowned in the laughter of the giant monster echoing in the whole room.

**"Now… The spike that seized the world!"**

Since the start, they never knew if they would come out alive once they stepped in. Joker didn't regret his selfish choice, but he regretted he wasn't a good leader. If only he could dodge the attack until Skull managed to snatch that crown. But his body barely pulls itself up. The time went slowly as he stared at his end. The white view turned blue. A familiar flame materialized out of the thin air. And from the flame emerged a figure. Facing from the back, Joker can only see it's transparent veil with some parts ripped on the hem of it and the dress that hugs its figure.

**A persona.**

When the spike hit the unknown persona, the blue flame bursted out of its body while acting as a shield to stop the attack. Just like that, the deadly spike never came. When the persona resolved in blue flame that scattered in the air, Joker quickly felt his energy replenish. He looked behind, seeing Mona and Panther standing up, fully recovered.

"What...what happened?" Mona asked, confused.

"Was that…" Panther whispered and Mona continued, "...a persona? But… But from who?" Slapping mentally himself, Mona decided to focus on the enemy along with the rest of the team. Whatever happened, the important thing was that everything went in the right direction and Skull managed to jump and snatch away the giant crown.

"No! My kingship! Give it back!" Kamoshida cried.

Right when his vulnerability showed, the thieves went to an all-out-attack to end up the show. As a finale, Ren landed on the top of Kamoshida's head and pointed his gun:

**"Checkmate."**

* * *

**After the long fight and confrontation,** Ann decided to spare Kamoshida so he may confess his crimes.

"I… I've lost. It's over." Kamoshida fell on his knees and then bended in apology. A defeated figure and tone of voice. "All right. Fine… I'll go back to my true self. And… I…" Before Kamoshida could finish his words, he began to glow and disappear. The team were about to rejoice until the place started quaking.

"What was that?" Panther and everyone looked around in panic.

"That's–!" Before Mona could finish his sentence, his wandering eyes caught a blur of white figures. "Huh?"

" _That's_ what!?"

"Time to get out!" Mona shouted.

Without asking another question, the group began to run away toward the exit. Mona, now turned into a normal cat, jumped on Skull then Panther's shoulder then Joker's. Although there was some delay, the thieves managed to break out of the palace.

* * *

"What...what just happened?" Ann asked between heavy pants. 

"Once the distorted desire disappears, well, that happens. The palace collapsed."

"Why didn't you tell us before!?" Ann scolded Morgana who shrinked on the spot.

"I'm sorry! I thought my eyes caught someone!"

"Someone? Oh, _that_! You saw the person!?"

"Wait– who are you guys talkin' about?" Ryuji askedbecause he missed out everything that happened.

"When we were almost knocked out, someone summoned their persona and healed us… I think." Morgana explained.

"For real!? I thought only us could come in. Are you sure it was not this guy?" Ryuji pointed out Ren, the only one who they know can summon more persona. The noiret shook his head to deny.

“Do you...do you think they are fine?” Ann looked around, hoping to spot a suspicious individual. The thought of someone buried beneath the debris of the palace worried them to death.

"H-Hey, uh, maybe it was a shadow–! Or maybe they are used to going into palaces and, uh, was able to get out!" Ryuji tried to give them a positive possibility. Even if it was a hopeful thought, Ann and Morgana agreed. Ren, who stayed quiet, noted to himself to talk with Morgana about it later. The adrenaline still didn't leave him and he needed to relax himself.

"Oh! By the way, the treasure! Have we got it?" Ryuji asked and everyone looked around. When Ren turned around, he felt something in his pocket. They reached out to it and pulled it out: it was a golden medal. It isn't his and he doesn't know how it got there.

"What's that?"

" _That_ is the treasure." Morgana informed. The group were incredulous.

"That is the giant crown before???" Ann gasped.

"Believe it or not, that metal is valuable as that crown for him." Morgana explained.

"Well, we gotta do something about this.

I wouldn't wanna keep something from him."

Everyone agreed at Ryuji's word and decided to call it a day.


	2. Things We Can't See

**Days passed** and the group were anxious of the result. The announcement they will be expelled will and the P.E. teacher hasn't shown himself during the past days after they stole his heart and they were preoccupied whether he had a mental shutdown. Until that early morning when students gathered in the gym and the door swung in the middle of the principal's speech. A tired Kamoshida walked to the podium and began to reveal all the crimes, harassment and abuse he commited. He fell on his knees and cried, claiming he would take responsibility to everything he had done by killing himself.

Whispers and confusion of students filled the gym. The principal, in panic at the sudden outcome of the event, tried to make Kamoshida leave the podium. Only one student spoke up. It was Ann who shouted with her might and got the P.E. teacher to atone properly by handing himself to the hand of the law. Students left while some remained. Students who apologized to Ann. Of course, no one would ever know what they did but for Ren it was enough that he wouldn't get expelled and that Kamoshida can no longer harm no one.

When the class finished, the four gathered on the school's rooftop to discuss the aftermath and decided to spend the money to celebrate for their success in a place that Ann chose. After the meeting, Ren decided to go to the school's library. He went to sit in his usual spot and study but it wasn’t long after he packed everything and left.

When he walked in the hallway, his attention turned on the bulletin board. It wasn't an action that went unnoticed to the cat in the bag. Since Morgana has been with Ren, the question dangled above him but never pressed the matter. One day, it happened to him to turn his head to the direction too. But there wasn’t anything interesting but school activities, events and stuff.

Unbeknown to the cat, Ren’s mind was bothered. Whenever he went to the library, he couldn’t concentrate and his focus kept turning to the seat next to him. So he decides to leave. Whenever he walks in the hallway, the bulletin board catches his attention. All because he expects something or someone. But the matter lingers in his mind like a wind in his palm. He can feel it but can’t completely touch it.

* * *

**Back in the attic of LeBlanch,** Ren changed in his pyjamas after coming back from the sauna. He felt refreshed and ready to sleep. He laid on the bed, Morgana laid on the feet of the bed. Ren stretched then took his phone before going to sleep. He started at the red and black icon then sighed. His eyes closed to recall a memory.

"…Morgana?" Ren called.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"That someone you saw the other day… Can you describe them to me?"

"That someone? The one in the palace?”

Ren hummed at the question as confirmation. Morgana frowned and replied.

“I told you I didn't see them very well.”

“…”

“Strange… I never saw someone in metaverse before you.” Morgana murmured. “The one who aided us... It’s not telling much if they are an ally or foe so we must still be on guard in case we face them one day.” Morgana finished with a yawn. He then bid goodnight to Ren before going to sleep. Meanwhile, Ren just started at the ceiling. He can't explain that curiosity he has. It's like something itching in his brain that he can't scratch.

Ren then closed his eyes and remembered a memory the day he stepped in Shibuya. A city swarmed by people. The time, frozen. Faraway, blue flame ardently burned and showed him a face that laughed. A vision of himself with golden eyes, wide grin and blood dripping on his face. It was like a premonition. But after that vision disappeared, his eyes caught a person. He wasn't paying attention, but a something told his the person wasn't standing there before.

It was probably her odd presence in the middle of the crowd that made her stand out.

A girl, wearing a white hoodie, skirt and leggings and she has long, unnatural, white hair. She turned around as if sensing his stare. Ren could barely remember her face after she disappeared in the crowds.

It was as if she was just in his imagination.

**Author's Note:**

> "No matter where you are,  
> you'll always be in my heart.  
> But you're here, in front of me.  
> Close, yet so far."


End file.
